Machine for hermetically sealing sheet-metal vessels.



PATBNTED AUG. 22, 1905.

C. F. MENDHAM. MACHINE FOR HERMETIGALLY SEALING SHEET METAL VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.3.1904.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ITLVETZEU I kitrz E5555- Fig. 3 shows a section in the line a; m, Fig.

iINrrED STATES, PTENT Enron.

OONRA F. MENDHAM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO osOAn HEINDORF, or LONDON, ENGLAND. Y

MACHINE FOR HERM ETICALILY SEALING SHEET IVIETAL VESSELSU No. 797,862. Specification of Letters'Patent. Patented Aug. 22, 1905..

' Application filed February 3, 1904 Serial No. 191,807

To all 'whom it may concern.- the same manner as the corresponding mem- Be it known that I, CONRAD FIELD MEND- HAM, a. subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Machines for Hermetically Sealing Sheet-Metal Vessels and for Exhausting Air Therefrom, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved arrangement applicable to machines employed for hermetically sealing sheet-metal vessels by the use of caps unitedto the edges of the filling-openings of the said vessels by solderless circular seams or spun joints; and the said invention particularly relates to means for subjecting the contents of the said vessels to the action of an air-exhausting pump or the like previous to the putting in place of the caps upon the filling-openings and for maintaining a more or less complete vacuum around the coacting edges of the said filling-openings and caps until the circular seams or spun joints are completely formed.

The present improvements are hereinafter described in their application to a machine for securing closing-caps to sheet-metal vessels of the kind described in the specification of Letters'Patent No. 623,802, dated April- 'No. 623,802, above quoted.

In the improved arrangements forming the subject of the present invention the exterior surface of the ring d is shaped to receive a cup k of convenient shape and having an anmaterial to form a fluid-tight joint around the fillingeopening of a vessel pressed against it. A cam-surface 9, formed on the upper side of the cup k, is operated upon by rollers q,

from rotation by a lug r engaging in a guideway 8, formed in the frame a, so that axial movement of the said cup is permitted; The bearing-surfaces betweenthe mandrel h and cup in are packed, for example, by oibgrooves t, charged with oil to insure fluid-tightness without restriction of movement. 1 A washer o is also inserted between the die-ring and its sleeve. Thus when a vesse l t is pressed against the packing-ring n a fluid-tight chamber w is formed, within which are contained the fillingopening y of the said vessel, the closing-cap z, the die-ringd, and the seaming-rollers g; 1 This chamber is put in communication with an air- I exhausting main 15, through a flexible conduit In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view, partly in vertical central section, of the parts comprised by the present invention shown in combination with such parts of a can -seaming machine as are necessary to illustrate the operation of the improved ap-. paratus. Fig.- 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

conduit 2 I may havea telescopic conduit.

rotatable in the bearing 6. An antifriction or'ball bearing 4 is inserted between the upper bearing 6 and the upper collar 5, taking the thrust of the spring The sleeve 0 is rotated by the hand-wheel 6 for the purpose of causing the cam-rollers q to travel on the camsurface p. Stops 7 are arranged on the sleeve 0 and engage, as hereinafter described, either with the under surface or with the side of a lug 8, projecting from the machine-frame.

1; and Fig. 4 illustrates in detail a certain Valve for controlling the exhaustion of air from and admission of air to a certain chamber 20.

Referring to the drawings, a is the machineframe; t b are bearings formed therein and one of which supports a-sleeve a", carrying a die-ring d. e and f are neck-rings forming the raceway for. seaming-rollers g, which are acted upon by a mandrel it and a springpressed thim ble 2 j is a spring acting on the sleeve 0, and j is a collar limiting the downward movement of the said sleeve. N is a table for supporting the can and elevating it to the range of operation of the seaming means. These parts operate in substantially .magnetized and the magnetic attraction exercised thereby is employed to support the closing-cappla'ced in position within the dierin'g, as hereinafter explained. 1

12 is a vacuum-gage.

he operation of the improved apparatus is as follows: A cap a is placed in position magnetized seaming-rollers are employed or 1n other cases the said cap 1s laid loosely on bers ofthe machine described in specification nular extension m formed thereon to receive a packing-ring n. This ring is of suitable mounted on the sleeve 0. The cup Z: is held sleeve 0 and between the die-ring d and the 2, a cock 3, and a pipe 16. In lieu of a flexible In-the present arrangement the sleeve 0 is In some instances the seaming-rollers g are either within the die-ringd in the case where V.

"the filling-hole of the vessel, which is then pressed up against the ring at on the cup 70 table N. The said cup is prevented from rising by the cam-rollers q, resting on the elevated parts 10 of the cam-surface p and in turn by the ing the under surface of the lug 8, and thus by resisting the pressure ofthe .can forms therewith a hermetic opening or mouth. The filling-opening y is now contained within a hermetically-closed chamber with the cap 2 resting thereon or raised above it by the magnetic attraction of the rollers g. Thecock 3 is now oper-- ated to cause air to be exhausted from the chamber w through the conduit 2. The rel duction of pressure inthe chamber w draws the vessel closer to its seat'on the packingring n, and" the action of the exhausting apparatus is continued until the required degree 'ofvacuum is attained, as shown by the gage 12. The hand-wheel 6 is nowrotated and as an eflect partly of atmospheric pressureand partly of the pressure of table N whose upthrust is still maintained, since the rollers q are now over-the low partsof the cam-surface, the cup slides up on the die-ring, so that the edge of the filling-opening y of the can is forced into the channel of the cap a the uni seamed joint being then in exact position with.-

in the die-ring d to beefficiently acted upon between the rollers purposeof hermetically closing the joint in the known manner. The seamingor spinning of the joint is now proceeded with, the aforesaid rotation having caused said left-hand stop 7 to slip out from under the lug 8 and permit the sleeve to rise slightly, cushioned now by spring j, until the other lug 7 projects high enough so th t upon further rotation it will bring up agaihst lug 8 and prevent the die-ring d and its sleeve 0' from being revolved during the spinning process. When the joint is completed, the cock 3 is operated to admit air to the chamber w in order to equalize the pressure forcing the vessel againstthe packing-ring n.

' said die-ring and forming rollers having a so that-the rollers q are again brought upon the parts 10 of the 'cam, the consequentmovement of the cup is along the die-ring d releases the sealed vessel from the die-ring and from,

theii'ollers g, to which it is held by. magnetic attraction. if. the said rollers are magnetized.

7 What I claim is 1. The combination, in a'inachine for sealing sheet-metal vessels, of a die-ring, and seaming means operatively arranged to cooperate with said die-ring, a cup mounted on the therewith a chamber, exhausting means connected with said chamber, a cam-surface on the said cup, and fixed position with relation v to said die-ring and disposed in operative relation to said cam-surface, scribed.

substantially as deleft-hand stop 7 Fig.v 2, engagseal about. its filling,

g and die-ring d fbr the By rotating the hand-wheel -6,'

2. The combination in a machine for hermetically sealing sheet-metal vessels, of a diering, a cup mounted on the saidrdie-ring; stops for preventing the-rotation of the said cup, and cam'mechanism controlling the relative axial movement of the said cup and die-ring. 3. The combination, in a, machine for hermetically sealing sheet-metal vessels, of a cup, 'a packing-ring on said cup, an air-exhausting means, a die-ring, a seaming means operatively arranged to cooperate with said diering, said cup being movable axially -on the.

die-ring, and a cam mechanism controlling the relative axialmovement'of the said cup and die-ring, substantially as'described.

metically sealing sheet-metal vessels, of a nonrotatin'g cup, a flange and packing-ring on the said cup, an-air-exhausting main, a conduit connecting said cup with the air-exhausting main, adi'e-ring mounted on a rotatable sleeve,

a cam-surface on the said \cup, and rollers on the said sleeve coacting with the said camsurface:

' 5. In a machine for hermetically sealing sheet-metal vessels, the combination of a diering and magnetized seaming-rollers cooperating with the said die-ring.

6. In a machine for sheet-metal vessels, the combination of a diering, magnetized rollers, and cam mechanism a for ejecting 'a sealed vessel from the said diering.

7 In a machine for hermetically closing sheet-metal vessels and the like, the combina* tion of 'a'hollow' structure, an exhausting means, and a closing means located in' said hollow structure, said hollow structure comprising an annular vessel-impinging part.

having a direct axial movability independently;

of the remainder of-said structure to permit operative proximation of the vessel, and said closing means and being non-participative in the control of said exhausting means, substantially asdescribed. I

' I 8. In a machine for hermetically closing sheet-metal vessels and the like, thecombination of "a hollow structure, 11 exhausting means, and

hollow structure, said hollow structure com prising telescoped parts one of which pingeable by the vessel to be closedand' has a direct axial movability independently of the other to permit operative proximati-on of the vessel and the closing means, said part being non participative in the control of said exhausting means, substantially as described.

9. In a machine for hermetically closing sheet-metal vessels and the like, the combination of a hollow structure, an exhausting means, a closing means located in said hollow structure,=- said hollowstructure comprising an annular vessel 'mpinging part having a direct axial movability independently. of the remainder of said structure to permit opera;

4. The combination in a machine for herhermetically sealing a closing means ocated in said A is im:

tive proximation of the vessel and the closing means and being non-participative in the control of said exhausting means, and means for temporarily securing said part against movement, substantially as described.

10. In a machine for hermetically closing cans or other vessels, the combination of a frame, a hollowstructure, exhausting means communicating therewith, a closing means located therein, said structure comprising an annular can-impinging part movable in said structure to permit operative proximation of the can and said closing means, means whereby said part may be secured against, or made free for, such movement, and a cushioning means interposed between said structure and the frame and adapted to ease the thrust of the can being operated upon, substantially as described.

11. In a machine for hermetically closing cans or other vessels, the combination of a frame, a rotatable die-ring, exhausting means,

seaming'devices inclosed by said die-ring and operatively arranged to cooperate with the same, an annular can-impinging part carried by said die-ring and movable axially thereon, means whereby said part may be secured against, or made free for, suchmovement, said die-ring being also axially movable, and stops adapted to limit the axial movement of said die-ring in the frame or the rotary move ment of said die-ring in the frame, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CONRAD F. MEN DHAM.

Witnesses:

H; D. JAMEsoN, A. NUTTING.- 

